Franchise superstar Stephen Curry has joined in the countless of heartfelt tributes for Don Nelson after the legendary Golden State Warriors coach passed away at age 86.
Nelson twice coached the Warriors from 1988-1995 and then again between 2006-2010, the last year of which coincided with Curry's first season after the franchise drafted him seventh overall in 2009.
Stephen Curry joins heartfelt tributes for Don Nelson
Curry has been joined in statements by current head coach Steve Kerr and other former Warrior players including Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway, Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis.
The two-time MVP hd 27 points and 14 assists in an April 7 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010, giving Nelson the most wins in NBA coaching history and a memory Curry relived in a statement on the passing of his first NBA coach.
“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court. He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him," Curry stated before sending thoughts to Nelson's family and those that knew him.
Statements from an array of Golden State pillars and legends — including Stephen Curry in tribute to his first NBA coach — after the passing of two-time Warriors coach Don Nelson: pic.twitter.com/6qQD2q5GC2
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 9, 2026
Nelson may have spent a season nurturing Curry, but it's the "Run TMC" era and the "We Believe" Warriors that were the most notable aspects of a long coaching career with the franchise.
Under Nelson's leadership, Mullin, Richmond and Hardaway brought high-scoring, exciting basketball to Golden State for two seasons, while the "We Believe" Warriors, featuring Davis and Jackson, became famous for one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history when they took down the number one seed Dallas Mavericks in 2007.
Don Nelson's impact spread far beyond the Warriors
While Nelson will go down as one of the greatest coaches in Warrior history and remains third in wins for the franchise behind Kerr and Al Attles, his impact spread well beyond the Bay in a career that spanned nearly half a century.
Nelson started as a player with the Chicago Zephyrs in 1962 and had a 14-year career which included five championship at the Boston Celtics, along with an earlier stint at the Los Angeles Lakers.
His coaching career started at the Milwaukee Bucks in 1976, while he also led the New York Knicks and notably the Dallas Mavericks as part of the second-most games coached in NBA history behind Lenny Wilkens. Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki is another who's paid tribute to Nelson after his passing.
Add us as a preferred source on Google